Long Beach State Outclassed on Road
Josh Merrill scored a career-high 31 points as UC Santa Barbara defeated Long Beach State, 87-77, in a Big West Conference game Thursday night at Goleta.
B.J. Bunton recorded his sixth double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds and Derrick Allen had seven steals for the Gauchos, 10-11 overall and 8-3 in the Big West.
Long Beach State (10-12, 7-5) took a 6-4 advantage two minutes into the game, but it would be the 49ers only lead.
Santa Barbara used a 15-8 run and led, 25-14. The Gauchos advanced the margin to 41-29 at halftime. Santa Barbara held Long Beach State to only 8.3% shooting from three-point range, well below their season average of 32%.
The 49ers never got closer than 10 points in the second half, with the Gauchos leading by as many as 20.
Ramel Lloyd led Long Beach State with 24 points.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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